No Skip is Billboard India’s weekly roundup of the best new Indian music. Every Monday, we sift through last week’s crop of releases to put out the ultimate playlist – handpicked by the Billboard India team. Tracks from Indian artists across any genre (including the diaspora), released on any major streaming platform until Friday night are considered for editorial curation. This week, the team sifted through a pool of over 30 tracks to vote for their picks.
This week’s No Skip features everything from Shikriwal’s hard-hitting Bhojpuri rap and NAALAYAK’s pop-rock love ballad to a spoken-word heartbreak track from harmeeet and a playful Telugu folk number from Mangli. Here are the six tracks that made the cut.
1. “Don’t Wanna Know” by Mary Ann Alexander
Mary Ann Alexander delivers a lively bubblegum pop track with “Don’t Wanna Know”. The upbeat, layered production makes room for playful ad-libs, while her nimble vocal inflections give the song a cheeky personality. It all comes together as an effortlessly catchy pop release.
2. “Disha” by Shikriwal, Ornithology
Shikriwal combines hard-hitting Bhojpuri rap with an unexpected sonic palette, pairing a bluesy keyboard line with a boom-bap beat that recalls hip-hop’s socially conscious early years. The production gives his verses a distinct old-school character, while continuing his effort to push Bhojpuri rap into new territory.
3. “Bold” by SARRB, THOUGHT
“Bold” is a slick Punjabi pop track built around a gentle guitar line and a familiar 808-led beat. SARRB’s vocals glide over the production, making for an easygoing listen.
4. “Poda O Chandu” by Mangli, Suresh Bobbili, Kasarla Shyam
“Poda O Chandu”, recorded for WMI’s Maati S2, captures the playful excitement of falling in love, with Mangli singing from the perspective of a young woman smitten by a boy named Chandu. Built around lively folk instrumentation, flutes and whistles, the composition draws on a rustic Telugu sound, giving this romantic number an infectious, celebratory energy.
5. “Mero Maya” by NAALAYAK
NAALAYAK brings his signature pop-rock sound to a love ballad with “Mero Maya”. The Chandigarh-based singer-songwriter makes room for separate guitar and drum solos, adding a welcome instrumental flourish to an already atmospheric composition.
6. “khasaara” by harmeeet
“khasaara” unfolds like a conversation after heartbreak, pairing spoken-word verses with a warm beat and acoustic guitar. Harmeeet gives the track the character of a heartbreak ballad through his emotive vocal delivery, interspersing his verses with voice notes from the fictional lover, adding another layer of intimacy to the song.
